A Childhood Long Forgotten
by Slim Jim09
Summary: Hermione always thought Malfoy seemed familiar, and when seven words escape his mouth Hermione has a trip to the past and remembers all. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**A Childhood Long Forgotten**

The Hogwart's Express just boarded the station at Hogsmeade. All of the students were getting off of the train; first through seventh years. Hagrid was leading the first years to the Black Lake as everyone else were getting into a carriage that were pulled by the majestic thestrals.

Three Gryffindors were getting into the last carriage. They were the Golden Trio. There was Harry Potter, the infamous "Boy-Who-Lived". He looked the same basically. His messy raven-colored hair was still long and still hiding that notorious scar. He did grow a few inches taller, but he still looked small.. at least compared to Ron. Ronald Weasley, known for his red hair and bad temper. Although Ron hardly got mad, everyone knew to leave him alone; everyone, that is, who isn't looking for a fight. Ron's gangly form only added to his look, plus he was even taller now. Hermione Granger, the bookworm of the group. She too grew of the summer, but you wouldn't be able to tell with Ron's massive height. She looked more different than the other two. Her hair was no longer bushy, but wavy; and it wasn't just boring brown anymore. She had blonde highlights in, making her hair look lighter. She also became more full over the summer. Curves in all the right places. Hermione looked… pretty. Plus all the work she has done over the years at Hogwarts has finally paid off, because she made Head-Girl. She had yet to find out who made Head-Boy, but she would soon. She was so excited.

'This is going to be a good year' Hermione thought to herself with a huge smile on her face.

"What are you smiling at?" Ron asked in a bitter tone. He was in a foul mood because Pigwedeon died over the summer. Ron's mother had a huge fit of course, and blamed him; saying he didn't feed Pig enough.

Hermione was too happy though. She wouldn't let Ron's temper ruin her good mood. "Nothing, Ron. It's just… aren't you glad to be back?"

"Anything to get away from that woman." Ron murmured as he plotted to get away from his mother forever.

Harry laughed at this while Hermione rolled her eyes.

The carriage finally stopped. "I'm glad _I'm_ back." Harry said to Hermione as he opened the door.

As they all got out and started heading inside of the castle Malfoy stopped them, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

Malfoy looked the same. Cold steely eyes, white-golden hair falling in his face, and his infamous annoying smirk. Crabbe and Goyle, well… looked like two trolls. Moronic beasts.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry asked. Him and Ron already drawing for their wands.

"Cool down Potty and Weasel. I simply want to talk to the mudblood." Malfoy stated with a straight face.

Harry and Ron looked at each other baffled.

"She has a name!" Ron shouted at Malfoy. In response Malfoy simply folded his arms.

Hermione saw Harry and Ron were itching to attack Malfoy, so she stepped forward. "What is it Malfoy?"

Malfoy walked closer to her. Sneering as he saw Harry and Ron tense up. He bent towards her and whispered "I heard you was Head-Girl. Not surprising, but I just thought I'd let you know… don't get in my way and I won't have to make you run crying to Pothead and Weasel."

Hermione's eyes grew wide, not in fear, but in curiosity and anger of him trying to boss her around. Hermione only leaned back to stare him in the face. She tried to find any expression that she might possibly be able to read, yet there was none. As she continued to examine his face, she couldn't help but feel like she knew him before; before Hogwarts. Finally, with the thanks of Malfoy's growling causing her to snap out of her thoughts, Hermione spoke.

"What are you talking about you prat?"

"Are you, or are you not the Head-Girl,… _mudblood_?" Malfoy questioned.

"I am,… _ferret_?"

"Then watch your back. Like I said, don't get in my way. You may be Head-Girl, but I just so happen to be Head-Boy." Malfoy gloated as he stood up tall and proud.

Hermione's, Harry's and Ron's mouth dropped.

"Don't gawk over me _too_ much. I need a day's rest from all of my admirers from time to time." laughed out Malfoy. Malfoy then turned and went into Hogwarts, followed by his two witless goons.

"How- how did he get to be Head-Boy?" Ron asked no one in particular.

"Well, maybe it's his grades. He isn't failing you know." Hermione spoke, but still dazed by the information she just received. Then it hit her.

"Oh no! I'm going to have to share a whole common room with him! I'll see him practically everyday."

"Poor Hermione." Harry whispered to Ron.

"I wish there was something we could do." Ro whispered back.

"Maybe there is…" Harry began.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made it into the Great Hall when everyone was feasting.

"Aww. They'd have eaten all the good food. We'll have left overs for sure." Ron moaned.

"Must you be so pessimistic, Ron? Besides there's enough food to feed everyone ten times. Now come on, we're making a scene." Hermione harshly whispered.

"Yes ma'am, professor." Ron answered. He received a dark scowl from Hermione, so he said "Oh- I mean Head-Girl." She still rolled her eyes at him.

The Trio sat down at the table. Harry next to Ron with Hermione across from them. Ron immediately began to fill his plate.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry asked with a look of concern.

"Yes. I just have a headache." Hermione said as she massaged her temples.

"If Malfoy's that big of a prob…"

"No!" Hermione interrupted. "It's not that, it's… I'm trying to remember something."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure, but with his comments it's a little nerve-racking." Hermione said motioning towards Ron.

"W-ll ahm saw-e." Ron mumbled with a mouth full of food.

Hermione only rolled her eyes and went back to massaging her temples.

Harry constantly watched her, but didn't see her sneak a peek towards the Slytherin's table.

'Blond hair, grey eyes, a prideful gloating air about him, and that annoying smirk. He seems so familiar.' Hermione thought.

"Of course heseems familiar. We known the git for six years." Harry said as started to put food on his plate. Apparently Hermione thought out loud.

"What?" Hermione said jumping out of her thoughts.

"You were describing Malfoy right. I mean who else fits that category?" Harry said before he took a bite of his roast beef.

"Um…" Hermione didn't want Harry to know she was thinking about Malfoy. 'Harry and Ron might think I'm seriously stressed about this Head-Boy/Head-Girl living quarters thing. Next thing you know, they'll be planning a full frontal attack.'

"No, I wasn't thinking of… _that_ Malfoy. I was thinking of _Lucius_ Malfoy." Hermione lied. 'What the hell am I thinking. As if Lucius is any better than Draco.'

"Loo-sus! Why wore oo thunk-ng aboat hm?" Ron asked with his mouth full of chicken.

"What?" Harry and Hermione said in unison.

Ron took a swig of his Pumpkin Juice to make sure all the food in his mouth washed down. "I said… 'Lucius! Why were you thinking about him?'"

"Oh. Well…" Hermione began. She was fidgeting and hoping for and interruption.

"Ahem." Dumbledore was clearing his throat at the podium in the attempt of getting everyone's attention and preparing his voice for his speech.

'Thank goodness.' Hermione thought.

"I would like to thank the house elves for that wonderful feast-" Dumbledore began, but Ron and Harry were still wondering about Hermione.

"You never answered my question, Hermione." Ron said as he turned from Dumbledore to focus his attention on her.

"Never mind that." Hermione said, hoping they wouldn't push it.

"But 'Mione, why were you thinking about him? _He's_ a death eater." Harry asked this time.

Hermione was getting fed up now, especially when Harry called her 'Mione. "Don't call me that! Anyway I'm free to think about anyone I please. Now leave it be!" Hermione barely whispered.

Before Harry or Ron could protest, Dumbledore announced the Head-Boy and -Girl. Hermione stood to receive her applause. An applause that didn't come from the Slytherin's side of the room.

After Hermione sat down Dumbledore finished his speech shortly and asked that Hermione and Malfoy stay behind.

"Hermione…" Ron began, but Hermione interrupted him.

"Go!" Hermione said pointing towards the doors. Malfoy saw this and headed over when Harry and Ron left.

"What's the matter; trouble in paradise?" Malfoy said pretending to care.

Hermione scowled and was ready to insult him, but Dumbledore mad his way over to the two.

"Now as Head-Boy and Head-Girl there will be a list of duties in your common room. I know that _you_ two aren't the best of friends, but you really should act civilized when associating _with_ the other. I say this for most likely someone may be watching. You can be role models for the younger years. Who knows, you _may_ encourage inter-house unity! Now your common room is on the fifth floor in the east wing. You _must_ come to an agreement at what the password shall be. And with that said, I am off. Good luck." Dumbledore said and apparated to Merlin knows where.

"That fool isn't even going to show us to our living quarters." Malfoy grunted as he began to leave the Great Hall.

"Don't call him that." Hermione said as she followed him.

"What? It's not like the poof can hear me. Besides the old bat is still trying to enforce that house-unity shit." Malfoy inwardly laughed at the professor's blindness of how low a percentage of Slytherins uniting with those Gryffindorks.

"Be that as it may, he's still our headmaster."

"Not for long. This is my last year. Yours too, in fact."

"Don't remind me." Hermione sighed. She sulked the rest of the way to the Head-Boy and -Girl's common room.

Up ahead of her she didn't notice Malfoy stop, so she walked right into him.

"Hell, Granger! Watch where you're going." Malfoy yelled as he wiped his robes off as if she got them dirty.

"Sorry." She mumbled. She was so busy sulking that she didn't even realize they were there.

"So… what's the password gonna be?" Malfoy asked with a calmer voice. However it seemed monotone.

"Password? Oh yeah. It can't be _easy_, but it can't be _so hard _that we won't remember, and we have to agree- _so_…" Hermione was thinking aloud.

"How about 'Insufferable Know-It-All'?" Malfoy interrupted.

Hermione scowled. "Real funny. How about 'Ferret-Boy'?"

"Yeah you're right, Know-It-All doesn't work. How about 'Mudblood'!"

"Or 'Pathetic excuse for a Pureblood." Hermione replied.

"You stupid mudblood bitch!" Malfoy yelled as we walked closer to Hermione. They were inches apart. Malfoy was only daring Hermione to say something else, and she did.

"Who are you to talk. Damned Death Eater's Son!" Hermione yelled back. As soon as she said it she regretted it because the look in Malfoy's eyes were that of how a murder's would look before he killed someone.

"Ahem." said the man in Portrait hole. He apparently sensed the tension and decided to distract them.

Both Hermione and Malfoy looked at the portrait, not knowing what to say or think.

"Were you there… the _whole_ time?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. Yes I was." He answered.

Hermione blushed and Malfoy folded his arms as he looked the other way.

"Since neither Head-Boy," The man said as he looked at Malfoy, then at Hermione when he said "or the Head-Girl- can come up with a decent password, it is up to I to come up with one; and in seeing your argument I have decided. Your password shall be '_Complications_'."

"Complications?" Hermione and Malfoy said in unison.

"Yes. Complications. It seems as if your relationship and your stay here will be complicated."

"We have no relationship." Malfoy said still avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Enemies have relationships. It's a heated and hated one, but they have relationships." Hermione said matter of factly.

Malfoy walked to the portrait. "Complications." He said, and the portrait door swung open. Right before he walked in he said to Hermione "You're not my enemy. It'd be an insult to all my enemies to say you were like them. I, from now on, see _you_ as nothing but a walking corpse. Why associate with a dead being. _You're_ not worth it. _You're _below anything that ever walked this world. _You're _dead to me!"

After saying that Malfoy walked in and went straight to his dorm room. The man in the portrait looked at Hermione sadly, because even though she tried to hide it he could see a tear in the corner of her eye as she walked in through the portrait hole too.

Hermione walked into the common room and forgot all about Malfoy and the fight. The common room was decorated with both Gryffindor and Slytherin colors. There was a couch sitting in front of the fireplace, and on the sides of the couch was two armchairs. On the left side of the common room were some stairs that led up to her dorm room. On the right were some stairs that led to Malfoy's.

She continued to look around when she saw the letter from Dumbledore.

'Must be the Head-Boy/Girl duties. Malfoy should know what it says too.' Hermione thought as she picked up the letter.

She looked up at Malfoy's door and just stared at it for awhile.

She hesitated at first, but then yelled from the bottom of stairs. "Malfoy! I have the letter that tells us what we're supposed to do all this year." She waited for him to come out or at least reply, but… nothing.

"Oh come on Malfoy! The sooner you get down here and read this the sooner you can leave to go roaming the halls, looking for anyone out past curfew!"

This must have got to Malfoy because he finally came out of his room and down the stairs. Hermione was getting ready to open the letter and read to the both of them when Malfoy snatched it out of her hand and read it himself.

"So what does it say?" Hermione asked when she thought he was through. However, Malfoy dropped the letter and left through the portrait hole.

Hermione felt bad as she picked up the letter and read it herself.

"We have to conduct two dances, a Seventh Year trip, and plan the prefect meetings. I could barely get Malfoy down to read this. How am I supposed to get him to cooperate with me. Merlin! I don't mean him any harm, it's just… he can be so thick-headed sometimes." Hermione said to herself, not knowing Malfoy was still there.

"Come on, Granger! Talk to yourself later. We have to patrol the halls." Malfoy said with his arms crossed and leaning against the portrait door.

Hermione jumped. She was so surprised he was talking to her. She walked over to hem skeptically. 'This must be a trap.' She thought to herself as she walked out the portrait door and they began to roam the halls.

"Did you here what I was saying back there?" Hermione asked him.

"Why? Was there something I shouldn't have heard?" Malfoy laughed inwardly as he quickened his pace.

Hermione quickened hers as well to catch up. She decided to be silent the whole time, as not to accidentally annoy him. If they were to get into an argument surely the whole castle would here.

They've been walking for at least thirty minutes now, and Hermione couldn't stand the silence, and there was a question that she wanted to know the answer to.

"M- Malfoy?" Hermione began. Malfoy didn't look at her but he grunted, so she took that as an approval to go on. "I thought you said I was dead to you? Why are you patrolling with me, let alone talking to me; even though you only told me to hurry up and to stop talking to mysel…"

"Shut it Granger!" Malfoy interrupted. "I have other things to worry about rather than keeping a promise to _you_. Besides, who could ignore something so ugly?" Malfoy laughed.

She was glaring at him, and was just about to comment when…

"Here we split up." Malfoy said before Hermione said something. "You go that way, and I'll go left." He said as he began to leave.

"You're going towards the dungeons." Hermione pointed out.

"Nice of you to notice." Malfoy said, but continued to walk away.

Soon he was out of sight, so Hermione walked down her hall. Not a soul in sight. 'I bet if he sees anyone from Slytherin that he won't even take _a_ point from them.' She thought to herself as she walked further and further down the hall.

In the Dungeons

"Who's there?" Malfoy asked as he heard a whisper.

Two figures came from out of a shadow it was…

"Well what do you know, Potty and Weasel. Out for a late night snog?" Malfoy drawled.

"No! We were looking for you." Harry said as he was trying to hold Ron back from jumping on Malfoy because of the comment.

"What the hell do you two want?" Malfoy demanded.

"We want you to leave Hermione alone." Ron said as he cooled down a bit.

"I haven't done anything to that mudblood." Malfoy was getting mad at their accusation of him doing something to there '_precious_' friend.

"Not _yet_, but you'll try." Harry said.

"Yeah, you already have her demented." Ron added.

"And what does that mean?" Malfoy questioned as he started to get bored.

'I should just take points from them and continue to walk on.'

"I mean she was talking about you stupid father earlier today." Ron said.

"What?" This got Malfoy's attention. "What did she say about my father?" He demanded to know.

"We don't know. She wouldn't tell us; but that's not important. You just remember to leave Hermione alone." Harry said as he and Ron walked away; heading towards the Gryffindor common room.

Malfoy was so deep in his thoughts that he forgot to take points away from Harry and Ron.

'What could that mudblood possibly be saying about my father? It doesn't matter. No one can talk about a Malfoy and get away with it.'

Portrait Door

"Complications." Hermione said. The portrait swung open and she walked in. 'My feet hurt so bad. I just need to rest for a little bit. Who knew patrolling would take so long?' Hermione was thinking when she was walking to the couch.

When Hermione was about to sit down she saw Malfoy already stretched across the couch preventing her from sitting down.

"So… Granger. Have fun?" Malfoy asked with his trademark smirk.

"What do you want? Just get to the point. I'm too tired for this." Hermione said still standing up.

"Okay then. I want to know what the hell you were saying about my father!" Malfoy said as he too stood up.

"_Your_ father? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Potter and Weasley said you were talking about my father earlier today!" Malfoy started to yell.

"They did? So you _saw_ them?"

"Never mind that!" Malfoy shouted

Hermione began to think 'When was I talking about Lucius? Oh I remember…'

"I wasn't talking about your father, Malfoy. I was talking about _you_. I just didn't want Harry and Ron to know I was talking about you, so I said I was talking about your father." Hermione said matter of factly.

"What? Then what were you saying about me?" Malfoy pressed on.

"N- nothing important." Hermione said as she finally sat down.

"It damn well is important if you're talking about _me_!" Malfoy said as he too sat down.

"Look Malfoy-"

Before Hermione could completely answer Malfoy began grinning. He was trying to stifle his laughing for some reason.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.

Malfoy just shook his head and began laughing.

"Okay! I demand to know what you're laughing at."

"_You_ demand to know?" Malfoy could barely say that without laughing. He had to control himself to say the next part. "Granger I knew you were dirty because of you blood, but not literally."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. She was confused and angry at him for calling her dirty.

"Granger, you have-" Malfoy began laughing again.

"I have what? What is _so_ funny?" Hermione started to yell. She was tired of asking Malfoy what he was laughing at.

Malfoy stopped his laughing long enough to say "You have a caterpillar in your hair."

"What?" Hermione began to run her hands through her hair all the while Malfoy was laughing. She felt a lump and pulled at it. Sure enough Hermione pulled a caterpillar out of her head.

Malfoy was laughing so hard at this. Hermione just frowned as she put the caterpillar on the table and headed up stairs to her room.

When Hermione was in her room, she was too tired to climb out of her clothes. She crawled straight into bed and fell fast asleep.

_Hermione's mother took her to the park that morning. Hermione loved going to the park. She loved the open room and all the things to play with, especially in the sand box. You see Hermione is 5 years old. She had her hair in two messy pigtails. She was wearing pink overalls and a white t-shirt. Her mother dropped her off in the sand box and went to sit on a nearby bench. Hermione immediately began to make a castle. She had her shovel and pail ready. Just as she was about to begin digging, a little boy walked over and sat in front of her. He had short blond hair a pointy nose. He was wearing all black._

"_Hi." Hermione said in her chipper voice. Hermione waited for a reply, because in her book of manners it says that when someone says hello to you, you're supposed to say hello back. As Hermione waited she saw him grinning. The boy began to laugh and roll in the sand._

"_What's so funny?" Hermione asked with her hands on her tiny little hips. The boy stopped laughing to tell her, "You have a caterpillar in your hair."_

_Hermione felt around her hair and found it. Her eyes began to water as she was about to cry. The little boy stopped laughing when he saw her._

"_Don't cry." he said in his high-pitched voice. "I'll get it." The little boy crawled over to Hermione and got it out. When he showed Hermione, she began to smile._

"_Thank you." She said still sniffing._

"_It's no problem. I'm the 'Man of a Million Beasts'." He said as he stood up proud._

"_What?" Hermione asked. She thought he looked silly, but didn't laugh._

"_I save people." He told her._

"_Oh… like a super hero. Okay Beastie-Boy." Hermione replied._

"_No it's 'Man of a Million Beasts'." The boy said as he stomped._

"_But you're just a boy, Beastie-Boy." Hermione said confused._

"_Nuh-uh. I'm a man, and it's not Beastie-Boy!" The little boy whined._

_Before Hermione could say anything a tall man with long blond hair came over._

"_Come along Draco. We do not associate with these people." The man said as he took hold of the little boy's hand and began to walk away._

"_Yes father." The boy said as he looked reluctant to go. The little boy looked back to the girl. Hermione saw him looking at her so she waved goodbye to him and whispered to herself "Goodbye Beastie-Boy."_

Hermione woke up that morning, with a massive head ache.

'Oww.' She thought. 'What time is it?' Hermione was searching her room for her watch when it hit her. "That dream. It must be real. Like a memory, that was triggered with that caterpillar incident last night. That's why he seems so familiar. It must be that." Hermione said aloud.

"Granger, will you shut up!" Malfoy said through the door. "I swear you're mental."

"Oh I'm sorry… Beastie-Boy." Hermione said as she laughed inwardly.

Malfoy opened the door. It's a good thing she had clothes on.

"How do you know about that?" Malfoy asked with what Hermione saw for the first time on him, a blush.

"Oh I don't know." Hermione said as she was walking passed him. He was following her to the common room wanting answers. "You know, seventeen is of age, so… I guess it's 'Man of a Million Beasts' now." Hermione chimed as she walked into the Head-Boy/-Girl's bathroom.

Just as Malfoy opened his mouth to say something Hermione closed the bathroom door.

As Hermione was laughing on one side of the door, Malfoy had a shocked expression over his face.

'How does she know about that?' He thought.

As Hermione was stepping into the shower she had a huge smile on her face.

"It's going to be a wonderful year!"


	2. Malfoy Remembers

_A/N: Sorry it took so long, but i was on a writer's block for a long time. Well anyway I hope you like._

_Disclaimer: It all belongs to J K Rowling. I just wrote the fanfic._

**Malfoy Remembers**

It was a week after the whole 'Beastie-Boy' incident, and Malfoy was still trying to get information out of Hermione; without anyone knowing of course.

…

"Malfoy for the hundredth time: LEAVE ME ALONE!" Hermione shouted as she picked up her bag and made towards the portrait hole.

"Where are you going? It's Saturday, no classes." Malfoy pointed out.

"I'm aware of what today is, and for your information I'm meeting Harry and Ron down in the Great Hall." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"What for? Especially when you're supposed to be explaining to me about-"

"I'm not supposed to be explaining anything to you!" Hermione interrupted.

"Dammit! It's a personal part of my life and your intruding! Now I _demand_ to know how you found out about that!" Malfoy yelled.

"…"

"No bullshit!" Malfoy added.

Still silence.

"Don't ignore me! Tell me NOW!"

A simple chuckle escaped Hermione's lips. Malfoy's face was so red that it reminded her of how Ron's face would get when he was mad.

"I was wondering when you were going to get angry about this. To think that you were being civil about this the whole time. Now tell me, is that because you were embarrassed about me knowing or is it that you were scared that if you ticked me off I'd tell your little secret to everyone?" Hermione asked coldly.

"You stupid mudblood!" was all Malfoy said before he went to his room and slammed the door shut.

Hermione just smiled and walked out of the Heads' common room.

"Hey Hermione, over here." Harry called to Hermione as she descended the steps leading to the Great Hall.

"Hey, what took you so long." Ron asked as she walked up to them.

"Hi Harry. Hi Ron. I was… reading a book… and lost track of time." Hermione lied.

Harry and Ron seemed to buy Hermione's little lie as someone walked up behind her.

"Typical Hermione. Always getting lost in a book." the person said.

Hermione turned around and saw…

"Ginny! It's been awhile since I last saw you." Hermione said as she hugged her friend.

"That's because you're always in the library or in your room." Ron pointed out.

"Yeah. Are you… avoiding us?" Harry hesitantly asked.

Hermione felt bad when he asked this. He sounded concerned and worried. 'How can I tell him I'm avoiding Malfoy.' Hermione thought.

"Um… all I can say is… is… is that I'm not avoiding _you_."

"Y- you're not a- avoiding m- me are you?" Ron stuttered.

"No. I'm not avoiding any of you." Hermione said as she looked from Ron to Harry and then to Ginny.

"If it's not us, then who is it?" Ron asked.

'Uh! Nosy little booger. Why is he being so inquisitive?' Hermione thought as she mentally rolled her eyes.

"Well…" Hermione began.

Ginny, sensing Hermione's uneasiness, interrupted her. "Come on guys, Hagrid's waiting."

"Harry and Ron shrugged as they headed out towards the half giant's hut.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered to Ginny as they followed Harry and Ron.

"It's okay. As long as you tell me _everything _later." Ginny whispered back.

'Oh great.' Hermione sarcastically thought.

Back in the Heads' Common Room

"Stupid mudblood. She's always pissing me off. If she'd just tell me how she knows, then I wouldn't bother her anymore. Rrrr! That damned know-it-all!" Malfoy thought as he paced his room. He was thinking of ways to make Hermione tell him, but none of them came out good. If he threaten or hurt her she can tell the whole school; but if he isn't direct with her, she'll think he was a joke and wouldn't tell him anything.

"Damn!" he yelled as he left his room and entered the common room.

He was through with thinking of a way to get information out of Hermione, so he was going to go do his transfiguration homework on the couch. When he sat down and reached for his parchment and quill, that was already in the room, he saw a cocoon hanging from the corner of the table.

"What the hell?" Malfoy mumbled. He pulled out his wand and slightly poked the thing, hoping it wouldn't hex him or squirt goo at him.

He continued to stare at it until he realized what it was. "A cocoon." He barley whispered. He then suddenly remembered his first night of being head boy. 'Yeah I remember now. The mudblood had a caterpillar in her hair. Man, that was hilarious. It would've been even funnier if it would have cocooned in her h-… wait a minute.' Malfoy interrupted his own thoughts as a jolt of a memory came to him. In his head he kept saying caterpillar, as if it was his mantra. '…caterpillar, caterpillar, something about a caterpillar.'

"I remember!" Malfoy practically screamed. "The park, the sand box, the girl, the caterpillar, and father dragging me away! I remember all, but I still don't understand how Granger knows- unless… that girl in the sand box must have been her. Yeah, it makes perfect sense. The messy hair, the annoying attitude. Where did she get off in calling me Beastie-Boy. Wait 'till that know-it-all gets here."

Outside of Hagrid's Hut

"Bye Hagrid." Harry said as he ran to catch up with the others.

"Can you believe Hagrid has a new spider? And has the nerve to call it a pet." Ron said nervously as his face began to turn green.

"Hagrid just has a fondness for arachnids." Hermione stated.

"Yeah, well you weren't there with me and Harry when we were surrounded by thousands of them. It was terrifying, wasn't it Harry." Ron said as he held his stomach. Still green in the face.

"Yeah. I'm just glad your dad's car came and picked us up." Harry said.

"Just what were you doing in the Forbidden Forest anyway?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we were trying to find out who opened the Chamber of Secrets." Harry said as he looked to see Ginny's expression.

"Oh." Ginny mumbled as she blushed slightly.

"Yeah. You and Hermione weren't in danger like us." Ron said a little boastfully. He seemed to stop turning green.

"How can you say I wasn't in danger. I was being controlled by You-Know-Who!" Ginny yelled.

"And I was petrified. If I hadn't have brought that mirror with me I could've died." Hermione argued.

"Okay, okay. I admit you, were in danger. Just not as much as me or Harry." Ron said which earned him a punch in the arm from Ginny as Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "What?" Ron asked, "I had to put up with Lockhart."

"You're retarded!" Ginny said as she began to walk away from the group.

"You seem to like danger. Just don't go _looking_ for it." Hermione joked as she ran to catch up with Ginny.

"Hey Ginny, wait up." Hermione called after the red head.

Ginny turned around with a look of utter excitement. "Okay, now that Harry and Ron are away, tell me."

"Tell you what." Hermione said confused.

"Who are you avoiding?" Ginny asked with impatience in her voice.

"Oh." was all Hermione said.

"Well…?" Ginny asked as they walked into the Entrance Hall.

"All I can say is that it's Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" Ginny yelled in shock, earning her and Hermione a few stares.

"Shh!" Hermione whispered. "Yes Malfoy. I said something to him about a week ago, and he just won't drop it." Hermione said as annoyance crept up onto her face.

"What did you say. Oh please don't tell me you told him anything personal about you that he can use as blackmail. You didn't admit your love for him, did you?" Ginny said.

"I don't love him!" Hermione yelled. People began whispering to one another as their eyes stared Hermione down.

Hermione lowered her head a she blushed. Ginny put a hand on her shoulder as she said, "I'm sorry Hermione, I was only asking. I wasn't implying that you had feelings for him or anything."

"I know. I just overreacted." Hermione muttered.

"So…," Ginny began slowly, "what did you tell him?"

"Nothing important." Hermione said as they approached the portrait door to the Heads' common room.

"It must be important if Malfoy is bugging you about it." Ginny stated.

"Well it's not." Hermione snapped.

Ginny sensed Hermione's sudden change in moods and slightly backed up. Hermione seeing this, apologized right away.

"I'm sorry Ginny. I just need to rest."

"I understand. Bye Hermione." Ginny said as turned away and began towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Complications." Hermione said.

"Indeed there are." said the man in the portrait as he opened up.

Hermione just frowned at him as she walked into the common room. She saw Malfoy leaning on the wall wit his trademark smirk on.

"Someone's a little grouchy." Malfoy said as he walked closer to Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. 'I just walked in and already he's annoying me.'

"Well you just yelled at Weaslette, and that nasty little look you gave the portrait was far from happy." Malfoy said.

"Well, he gave a rather rude comment." Hermione said.

"And Weaslette?"

"She was prying in- never mind that! I'm just tired." Hermione seethed.

"Oh then I guess you're cranky." Malfoy laughed out.

Hermione glared at him as he went to his room. She too went to her room as soon as his door was closed.

Sleep was all she could think of.

_A/N: Yeah, I know it's shorter than the first chap, but hell- I had writer's block. Anyway, I wonder what'll happen next chapter, if there'll be a next chapter. It all depends on the reviews._


	3. Rage and Confusion

_A/N: Didn't take me as long as the last chapter did. I also like this chapter better than my last one, but it's not up to me, it's up to the critics, or should I say reviewers. And I'd like to thank all of my reviewers. If it weren't for you, this story wouldn't be unfolding the way it is. Well lets begin…_

**Rage and Confusion**

The next day Hermione woke up around 5:30 in the morning so that she could beat Malfoy to the Heads' bathroom. He normally got up at 6 o'clock, and would always sneak his way into the bathroom first and use up all of the good water.

"Well not this time." Hermione chimed as she walked to the bathroom.

All seemed to be going well until Hermione approached the bathroom door. On the bathroom door was a note; inked in a serpentine green.

**Granger,**

**I had a feeling you'd try waking yourself up early, so I too got up early. You see, I require long hot showers; and I won't have you taking that away from me.**

**.Malfoy.**

Underneath Malfoy's name, Malfoy drew a picture of a bug sticking it's tongue out at her and teasing her. The bug did it over and over.

Hermione was seething until she recognized the bug Malfoy drew- a caterpillar.

'Does _he_ remember? Nah! He must be teasing me about the other day.' Hermione thought as she continued to stare at the drawing.

While Hermione was still staring at the rude little bug, the bathroom door opened. Steam just rushed out of the bathroom as soon as, as much of a crack in the door was made. This made Hermione mad again.

When Malfoy stepped out- hair still dripping wet- Hermione couldn't help but stare at him. He was completely nude except for a towel hanging loosely around his waist.

Malfoy noticed Hermione eyeing him and decided to mock her.

"Well Granger, I know I'm hot but… you're looking at me as if I was the last piece of food left on Earth." Malfoy sneered.

Hermione glared at Malfoy as she realized what she was doing. 'How can I even look at that ferret! I'm so disgustingly desperate to think he's hot. _'But he is isn't he?'_ What? He is not! _'Is so. He's always been on the attractive side.'_

Hermione began to have a conversation with herself; and Malfoy look at her confused in seeing all the different display of emotions on her face.

'_When he was just a little boy he was cute.'_ Was not! He was butt-ugly, and dumb enough to call himself 'Man of a Million Beasts'!

Hermione was for a reply in her head, but heard none; so she directed her detention back onto Malfoy, who looked furious.

"Butt-ugly huh? Dumb enough to call himself 'Man of a Million Beasts'! I was A KID!" Malfoy began shouting. Apparently Hermione spoke that last part out loud. She just stood there with a hand over her mouth as Malfoy continued yelling. "…And you know what? You didn't look any good yourself- with those dull brown eyes, those stupid overalls, and that detestably wild hair that holds all kind of dirty little creatures and other filth!"

"What? I still have those dull eyes you were talking about, same with the hair; although, I resent the part of it holding-" Hermione never finished because Malfoy interrupted her.

"Yes! You do still have those ugly eyes and that wretched excuse for hair. So I may have been butt-ugly, but at least I grew out of it. You on the other hand. You are still as repugnant as a troll, as revolting as a sack of dung bombs, _and_ AS DAMNED AS A **FUCKING GROTESQUE WEREWOLF**!" Malfoy shouted at her will all of his anger and frustration.

Hermione backed away from Malfoy slowly. Her eyes were wide with fear. She stood there silently; trembling in fear and saddened pain. Hermione wanted to break down and cry, but the fear she had prevented her from doing so.

Malfoy pushed her into the wall and walked straight to his room, being sure to slam his door.

It was then that Hermione began to cry. She slipped into the bathroom, all the while thinking. 'I never seen him this mad at me before. I even think he was fighting the urge to attack me… physically.' But that's all that she thought. She didn't want an incident like the previous one happening any time soon.

Hermione finally came out of the bathroom about two hours later. At first she didn't want to run into Malfoy, so she decided to stay in later; but she soon discovered that she still didn't feel like leaving the bathroom. When she finally left, she was surprised to see Ginny, Harry, and Ron sitting in the Heads' common room.

When they all heard her enter they turned to a complete surprise. Harry's and Ron's jaw dropped to the floor as Ginny shrieked in terror.

"Hermione, are you okay? What happened?" Ginny said with wide eyes clearly saying she was shocked.

Hermione was in the bathroom for two hours, but all she did was sit on the floor and cry or panic. She came out with a tear stained face, hair in tangles and knots, dirty fingernails _(A/N: Dirty fingernails? Where'd that come from?)_, and a walked sluggishly while humped over.

Ron almost appeared to be holding in laughter. Harry looked terrified. Ginny looked as if she seen a ghost.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? You look like a werewolf." Ron blurted out. At that said Hermione shot daggers at him. She ran and jumped onto him and just started swinging her arms.

"H- how dare you. I- I hate you,… you prick!" Hermione bellowed as she continued to hit Ron, all the while crying. Ron yelping in pain and fear.

Harry and Ginny didn't know what to do. They should help Ron, but that could endanger them and cause Hermione to attack one of them. 'What should I do? What's wrong with her?' Harry thought to himself.

'Ron shouldn't have said what he said, but he doesn't deserve this. Someone should do something.' Ginny was thinking.

But no one had to do anything because soon Hermione stopped hitting Ron, and just hugged him tightly, saying "I'm sorry" over and over.

When Hermione seemed to be done with her little fit, Ron snuck behind the couch while Ginny and Harry tried to comfort Hermione.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Ginny said as she and Harry cautiously walked over to Hermione. Hermione just shook her head.

"Come on. You can tell us." Harry said trying to sound soothing as he held Hermione.

Hermione looked into Harry's emerald eyes before saying to Harry, "Am I ugly?" Before Harry can answer Hermione begins again, "Why did I ask that? Of course I am."

"No you're not!" Ro shouted from behind the couch. As soon as Hermione even glance at him he ducked.

"Ron's right, 'Mione. You're pretty." Harry smiled at her as Ginny agreed with what he said.

"You know, I never told any of you this, but… when I was just a little girl and going to muggle school I was always teased. They said I was too ugly to look at, because I had buck teeth, and they said I had a bird's nest for hair-" Hermione ad only stopped because she heard Ron's slight giggle.

Ginny looked furious as she stomped around the couch a pulled Ron out of the common. Mouthing an 'I'm sorry' as she left Hermione and Harry alone.

"Hermione. You're not ugly, and you don't even have buck teeth anymore. Not after fifth year. And your hair…" Harry almost seemed at lost for words for while before adding, "I admit your hair isn't as tame as most girls here at Hogwarts, but it's not the worst. Besides I know a smart girl that would say beauty is on the inside and not the outside." He said the last part looking mockingly at her with a familiar twinkle in his eyes like Dumbledore.

This made Hermione laugh slightly. "Thank you Harry. I- I guess I'm not that bad off. Some people have it worse than me." Hermione stated.

"Yeah. Look at me." Harry said as his voice downcast.

"Harry you're not ugly."

"No, I meant the whole Voldemort thing." Hermione just looked at him sadly. "You, you can find the right person for you 'Mione, no problem; but me, I have to be careful of those who only like me because I'm the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. There's also the whole 'save the world' thing. I mean how am I supposed to stop Voldemort? Dumbledore hardly tells me anything anymore! I bet he-" Hermione shushed Harry by putting her finger to his lips. She knew he was about to start one of his rants, and that's not what she needed at the time.

Hermione still held her finger on his lips as the two stared into each other's eyes. His emerald green met her chocolate brown. They began to move closer- and closer- and closer. They both realized what they were doing and were going to do it anyway. They continued to move closer until there lips barely grazed each other. Before it could go any farther Hermione turned her head.

"Thank you. For what you said, it really helped." Hermione said, not daring to look at him.

"Thank you too. For what _you_ said." Harry said. He realized the position they were in an blushed. Hermione was straddling his lap. Hermione, too noticed this and got off of him.

"So…" Harry said trying to cut the tension.

"So…" Hermione repeated, still not daring to look at him. "Oh- what are you and Ron doing today?" asked this time looking at him.

"Nothing, just finishing our potions homework." Harry groaned.

"None sense." Hermione said.

"What? But what about our homework?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Oh, you can copy mine. How about you and Ron come with me to Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked. 'I'm desperate right now. If it means cheating then so be it.'

"Yeah!" Harry jumped up off the couch. No way he'll pass this chance up. "I'll go tell Ron. You should get ready." He said as he ran out of the Heads' common room.

Hermione smiled. Her smile turned into a look of disgust as she looked at herself. 'I need a shower.'

Hogsmeade

"I can't believe this. Are you sure you're the Hermione we know?" Ron asked. He was still amazed at the fact that Hermione let them copy her homework- with a few tweaks of course.

"Yes I'm the Hermione you know." Hermione laughed out.

"Are you sure? Ooh! A test!" Ron stated.

"A test? What-" Hermione began.

"What did me and Harry save you from in our first year?"

"Ugh. A troll." Hermione mumbled. Not one of her best memories.

"Okay then, what petrified you in second year?"

"A basilisk. Ron, can you not ask questions concerning bad things?" Hermione asked.

"I got one." Harry said, "In third year who did you punch?"

Harry and Ron were laughing about this one, though Hermione was reluctant about it.

"Malfoy." Hermione mumbled.

"What?" Harry asked.

"She can't be Hermione if she doesn't know that." Ron gasped.

"I said Malfoy!" Hermione said louder.

"What?" A cold voice snapped. Hermione turned around to see Malfoy in the streets of Hogsmeade with Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

When he saw who called his name he immediately frowned.

'Oh no! This can't be any worse!' Hermione thought.

"Hey Malfoy, you remember third year?" Ron asked. Hermione wanted so bad to shut Ron up, but she was frozen solid.

"What about it? If it's about that stupid chicken…" Malfoy said. His words dimming down.

"No. I was referring to when-" Ron began.

"Well Ron, Harry and I are hungry, so lets go." Hermione interrupted.

"Yeah Weasel. I bet _you're_ famished, seeing as how your family is to poor to even put a little food on the table." Malfoy said with his famous smirk. Zabini and Nott were smirking too.

Ron didn't have time to retort back, because Hermione already began dragging him to the Leaky Cauldron.

"What was that about? I was going to publicly humiliate him and you interrupted me." Ron said to Hermione as they sat down.

"Well I wanted to leave." Hermione said. 'That and the fact that if Zabini and Nott knew I hit him, they'd laugh at him, and then he would come to me- and there'd be hell to pay.' She thought as they ordered three butterbeers.

Harry and Ron soon began there usual topic- quidditch; and no doubt did they go to that quidditch shop. Spending an hour in there. They didn't even realize when Hermione left to go to the book store.

"Where is it? I saw it last time I was here. Come on… show up. Aww, here it is. _The Krad Tra's Guide to Potions and Curses_.

The title had caught Hermione's eye last time she was in the book store, but she didn't pick it up because she was in a hurry. But now she can enjoy it.

'How do they put potions and curses together?' Hermione inwardly asked.

"Hey." a mono-toned voice spoke to Hermione.

Hermione looked up and saw that it was one of Malfoy's friends, Blaise Zabini. 'Oh great.'

"What did you do?" He asked, with no hint of emotion what so ever.

"What did I do? What do you mean?" Hermione asked. 'This guy is weird. He's creeping me out.'

"What did you do to Draco to make him so pissed.?" the mono-toned boy asked.

"Thought out loud." Hermione did it again. She was only supposed to think that- as an inwardly joke. Zabini seemed to have chuckled though.

"A Slytherin? Laughing?" Hermione questioned with a raised brow.

"Surprised? A lot of surprising things is happening today." he said as he leaned closer to her.

"Like what?" She asked, trying not to sound nervous by his sudden closeness.

"Well a Gryffindor. Not any Gryffindor, but the queen of the 'Golden Trio' herself, has buried herself into a forbidden book."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I know you like knowledge. I myself do too, but I guess I never thought you the type to be reading about the dark arts."

"Dark Arts? I haven't read anything about the-"

"This." Zabini interrupted as he picked up her book titled _The Krad Tra's Guide to Potions and Curses_.

Hermione just looked at the book, in his hands, confused.

"Surely someone as smart as you discovered the trick wording in the title." He mused.

'Now he's mocking me. Wait a minute-' Hermione thought. She grabbed the book a looked at the title.

"Krad Tra is Dark Arts spelled backwards. _The Dark Arts' Guide to Potions and Curses_." Hermione said matter of factly.

"There. Now I know that brain isn't failing you."

Hermione just glared at his remark.

"Do you still plan on reading it?" He asked.

"Well…" Hermione was trying to decide whether or not to keep it.

"Do we have a thirst for forbidden knowledge?" He asked is his drawling mono-toned voice. Still mocking her.

"No. Nope, I'm not keeping it. Why?" She asked. She never thought as to why he wanted to know.

"Well I have a thirst for such knowledge, and it happens to be the only book of that title left. So thank you, and good bye." He said as he took the book and left.

'What kind of Slytherin is he?' Hermione thought. 'He's quite handsome, and he's polite; he even laughed. What's up with that? Not once did he call me a mudblood, in fact he called me the _queen_ of the golden trio. Something's strange about him. Strange indeed.'

Hogwarts

Hermione walked all the way back to Hogwarts alone. She didn't know whether or not Harry and Ron were still in that quidditch shop or not, but she was ready to leave and she wasn't about to go searching for them.

"Well, well, well. The mudblood all alone with no protection from her idiot guards." Malfoy drawled at the Hogwarts' entrance.

'He almost sounds bored with talking to me, not like I forced him to or anything. I just hope he isn't so mad still.' "Funny- I was going to say the same to you. I guess you ditched Crabbe and Goyle for Zabini and Nott, huh?" Hermione responded.

"I see you still want to play the brave little Gryffindor." Malfoy said coldly.

"And what does that mean?" Hermione asked, easily getting irritated with the present conversation.

"It means watch your back. You're right I did ditch Crabbe and Goyle for Zabini and Nott; and the reasons shall be known in the future." Malfoy said in a chilling way as if flaunting 'I know something you don't'.

Malfoy began to walk away when he called out to her, "Oh, I won't be in the common room tonight." Then he continued to walk until he disappeared from her sight.

'Idiot. He's up to something, and I bet it has to do with that book I let Zabini have. Why, oh why didn't I keep it?' Hermione thought as she headed to the Heads' common room.

"Complications." Hermione said as she reached the portrait door. As soon as she was in the common room, Hermione dropped onto the couch.

"I'm so tired." Hermione huffed as she stretched onto the couch. She was just about to fall asleep when she spotted a note on the table in front of her.

She continued to look at it as if it had her mesmerized. She noticed her name on it when she first saw it, but she did not move. 'Go on. Open it.' A voice inside of her head said.

She finally did so. It read:

**Miss H. Granger,**

**I know we haven't really been properly introduced, so I would like to do so. I'll be waiting for you in the kitchens on Halloween. I suppose you already know how to enter it. Okay, then you should have no problem. I'll see you there at Midnight.**

**Until we meet again, Yours Truly**

**Anonymous**

Hermione just stared at the letter. 'Anonymous? Whoever he is he sure is direct. He almost makes it sound like I have no choice but to meet him; and for some reason- against my better judgment- I want to go see who he is. Until we meet again… until we meet _again_? So it appears I've met him before, just not been introduced. This is confusing. Maybe I'll ask Ginny.' With that last thought Hermione left the common room. It was lunch time anyway. She'll see Ginny there.

_A/N: Well, how'd you like it? Next chapter we'll get more into the letter and Malfoy's little secret plan- maybe. Anyway, for those wondering where this story is going… well I'm not sure actually. Just keep reading, and reviewing._


	4. AN

_A/N: Hello to all of my readers. I'm sorry to say that I'm going to put this story on pause. School just started up again and homework is heavier than ever. I'm not going to abandon the story completely, I'll most likely be back to writing it in September. Until then…_


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